Review of Mitsubishi A6M Zero
Author: Artur Juszczak
Mushroom Model Publications/MMP
ISBN: 978-83-63678-29-6
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $39.00
ISBN: 978-83-63678-29-6
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $39.00
HISTORY:
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero is a long-range fighter aircraft, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter ( rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki?), or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the "Reisen" (zero fighter), "0" being the last digit of the Imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the use of the name "Zero" was later commonly adopted by the Allies as well.
When it was introduced early in World War II, the Zero was considered the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range. In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation as a dogfighter, achieving the outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1, but by mid-1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled the Allied pilots to engage the Zero on generally equal terms.[4]
The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ("IJNAS") also frequently used the type as a land-based fighter. By 1943, inherent design weaknesses and the failure to develop more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer enemy fighters, which possessed greater firepower, armor, and speed, and approached the Zero's maneuverability. Although the Mitsubishi A6M was outdated by 1944, design delays and production difficulties of newer Japanese aircraft types meant that it continued to serve in a front line role until the end of the war. During the final years of the War in the Pacific, the Zero was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations. During the course of the war, Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft.
Mushroom Model Publications is based in the U.K. All their books are printed in Sandomierz. Poland by their associate Stratus Publications. Stratus prints their own line of books in Polish. This book is in English,
This book is hard bound of 116 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It contains 55 black and white wartime photos, 84 color walk-around photos of examples in museums, 14 1/48th scale line drawings, 14 line drawings of various parts of the Zero’s anatomy to no particular scale, illustrations of the stencils that Mitsubishi put on the fuselages of Zeros (these consist of rudder stripes and numbers and fuselage bands that are either, red, white, yellow or blue, 38 color profile illustrations, 6 wing blueprint illustrations, 4 engine blueprint illustrations, 4 five view drawings of top views of the Zero, 4 views of the bottom, 4 views of the front.
The color profile illustrations include one that is in all white surrender color with green crosses, a Zero with large white letters down its fuselag4e sides that say ATAIU-SEA, which stands for Technical Air Intelligence Unit – South East Asia and it has a British roundel. Another captured Zero has black lettering TAIC 11 on the rudder and black lettering TECHNICAL AIR INTELLIGENCE Center under the cockpit. Another captured Zero with the TAIU-SWPA Tactical Air Intelligence Unit –South West Pacific Area has a white circle outlined in blue with bars on the sides. A further captured Zero with the Tactical Air Intelligence Center has U.S. star and bars insignia on it.
All the versions of the Zero are covered in this book.
Highly recommended. This book will be of great interest to modelers and aviation enthusiasts alike.
I want to thank Dr. Roger Wallsgrove, Editor-in-Chief of MMP and the folks at Casemate (who sent me this book) for this review sample.
All MMP books can be seen on their web site at:
www.mmpbooks.biz
The N. American distributor of MMP books is Casemate.
The Australian distributor is Platypus Publications.
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero is a long-range fighter aircraft, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter ( rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki?), or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the "Reisen" (zero fighter), "0" being the last digit of the Imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the use of the name "Zero" was later commonly adopted by the Allies as well.
When it was introduced early in World War II, the Zero was considered the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range. In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation as a dogfighter, achieving the outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1, but by mid-1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled the Allied pilots to engage the Zero on generally equal terms.[4]
The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ("IJNAS") also frequently used the type as a land-based fighter. By 1943, inherent design weaknesses and the failure to develop more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer enemy fighters, which possessed greater firepower, armor, and speed, and approached the Zero's maneuverability. Although the Mitsubishi A6M was outdated by 1944, design delays and production difficulties of newer Japanese aircraft types meant that it continued to serve in a front line role until the end of the war. During the final years of the War in the Pacific, the Zero was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations. During the course of the war, Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft.
Mushroom Model Publications is based in the U.K. All their books are printed in Sandomierz. Poland by their associate Stratus Publications. Stratus prints their own line of books in Polish. This book is in English,
This book is hard bound of 116 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It contains 55 black and white wartime photos, 84 color walk-around photos of examples in museums, 14 1/48th scale line drawings, 14 line drawings of various parts of the Zero’s anatomy to no particular scale, illustrations of the stencils that Mitsubishi put on the fuselages of Zeros (these consist of rudder stripes and numbers and fuselage bands that are either, red, white, yellow or blue, 38 color profile illustrations, 6 wing blueprint illustrations, 4 engine blueprint illustrations, 4 five view drawings of top views of the Zero, 4 views of the bottom, 4 views of the front.
The color profile illustrations include one that is in all white surrender color with green crosses, a Zero with large white letters down its fuselag4e sides that say ATAIU-SEA, which stands for Technical Air Intelligence Unit – South East Asia and it has a British roundel. Another captured Zero has black lettering TAIC 11 on the rudder and black lettering TECHNICAL AIR INTELLIGENCE Center under the cockpit. Another captured Zero with the TAIU-SWPA Tactical Air Intelligence Unit –South West Pacific Area has a white circle outlined in blue with bars on the sides. A further captured Zero with the Tactical Air Intelligence Center has U.S. star and bars insignia on it.
All the versions of the Zero are covered in this book.
Highly recommended. This book will be of great interest to modelers and aviation enthusiasts alike.
I want to thank Dr. Roger Wallsgrove, Editor-in-Chief of MMP and the folks at Casemate (who sent me this book) for this review sample.
All MMP books can be seen on their web site at:
www.mmpbooks.biz
The N. American distributor of MMP books is Casemate.
The Australian distributor is Platypus Publications.